European Institutions

Observers Fault CoE Body for Concession to Russia

June 26, 2019

Aaron Rhodes and Willy Fautré write that the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CoE) to readmit Russia in spite of the failure of the Russian government to withdraw from Ukrainian territory sacrifices human rights “on the altar of a geopolitical agenda.”
ECJ Strikes down Polish Judicial Retirement Law

June 25, 2019

The Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) has ordered the Polish government to roll back legislation lowering the retirement age of Supreme Court Justices, finding that the change “undermines the principle of the irremovability of judges” and is contrary to EU law.
Switzerland Retaliates Against EU Equivalence Announcement

June 25, 2019

Reuters reports that, in the latest dispute over the stalled EU-Switzerland partnership treaty, the Swiss government says it will retaliate against the EU’s refusal to extend an equivalence determination permitting EU companies to trade on Swiss stock exchanges by blocking EU exchanges from trading Swiss shares.
ECtHR: Bosnia’s Detention of Syrian Man Violated Rights

June 25, 2019

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has held that Bosnia and Herzegovina had violated the right to liberty and security of a Syrian national it held in detention and attempted to deport for several years because it must have been clear to authorities that no safe country would admit the man, who was classified as a national security risk.
NGO Report Identifies “Alternative Arrangements” for Irish Border

June 24, 2019

The nongovernmental organization Prosperity UK has published a report identifying potential arrangements UK and EU leaders could pursue to ensure that Britain can establish an independent trade policy and that Ireland can avoid infrastructure along its border with Northern Ireland after Brexit.